TWI794664B - Method of controlling a position of a moveable stage, imprint lithography system, and method of manufacturing articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a position of a moveable stage having a substrate supported thereon is provided. First position information representing a position of the substrate relative to a mark on an object is obtained from a sensor. Alignment prediction information is generated based on the obtained first position wherein the generated alignment prediction information including at least one parameter value. First trajectory information is generated and includes the at least one parameter value based on the obtained first position information and the generated alignment prediction information. Second trajectory information is generated based on the generated alignment prediction information first trajectory information and second position information, wherein the second position information represents a position of the moveable stage. An output control signal is generated based on the second trajectory information and used to control the moveable stage to approach a target position based on the generated output signal.

Description

Method of controlling the position of a movable platform, imprint lithography system and method of manufacturing an article

The present invention relates to alignment control in nanoimprint lithography, and more particularly to immediate feedback and feedforward control.

In nanoimprint lithography, techniques for field-to-field alignment have been used to achieve nanometer-scale overlay accuracy. In some examples, initial alignment errors between the imprint template and corresponding fields on the substrate can be corrected by moving the template relative to the substrate (eg, wafer). However, fast and consistent nanoimprint lithography alignment is a challenge. More specifically, dilute fluid friction and initial state changes are two major difficulties. Current alignment schemes typically use a single control algorithm that can be tuned manually via a tuning knob. In addition to the traditional disadvantages associated with manual tuning of the control algorithm (such as time delays) to implement modifications to the control algorithm, current schemes are not sufficiently variable and non-linear Handle different RLT (residual layer thickness of curable liquid between template and substrate), positions and transition procedures. This leads to various problems including slow alignment convergence, alignment overshoot, alignment undershoot, stalling, oscillations and repeatability issues. These issues consistently affect the yield and efficiency of mass production, so they need to be corrected.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling the position of a movable platform having a substrate supported thereon. First position information representing the position of the substrate relative to the marking on the object is obtained from the sensor. Alignment prediction information is generated based on the obtained first position, and the generated alignment prediction information includes at least one parameter value. First trajectory information including the at least one parameter value is generated based on the acquired first position information and the generated alignment prediction information. Second trajectory information is generated based on the generated alignment prediction information, the first trajectory information, and second location information, wherein the second location information represents a location of the movable platform. An output control signal is generated based on the second trajectory information, and the movable platform is controlled to approach a target position based on the generated output signal.

In another embodiment according to the invention, an error value is determined based on said sensor representing said position of said substrate relative to said marking on said object according to said second Track information to move, and based on the error value is within a predetermined range to generate an updated output control signal, and based on the updated output control signal to control controlling the movable platform to approach the target location.

In other embodiments according to the present invention, after the movable platform has moved according to the output control signal, updating the alignment prediction information and including The at least one parameter value therein.

According to the present invention, the alignment prediction information is a first feed-forward signal, and the generated first trajectory information is generated by obtaining the difference between the obtained first position information and the feed-forward alignment prediction information The first feedback signal and the generated second track information are the second feedback signal.

The present invention provides a further embodiment which provides a response to said sensing based on said position representing said substrate relative to said marker on said object at the end position of said alignment prediction information. determining that the error value is outside a predetermined range, generating new alignment prediction information including an updated at least one parameter value determined based on the updated first position information, and combining the new alignment prediction information with the first location information The two trajectory information are combined to generate an updated output control signal for controlling the movable platform based on the updated output control signal. As such, the output control signal is further based on a combination of the third feedforward control signal and the second trajectory information.

Advantages of the general aspects and implementations described herein include feedforward and feedback control based on alignment errors identified by the system on the fly, thereby quickly and accurately correcting alignment errors in imprint lithography. Fast and accurate corrections provide a smooth transition from substrate movement to alignment, improving alignment throughput and coverage Cover accuracy.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims.

100: Imprint lithography system

102: Substrate

104: substrate chuck

106: Platform

108:Template

110: Mold

112: Patterned surface

124: concave part

126: convex part

128: template chuck

130: Embossing head

132: Fluid distribution system

134: Polymerizable material

136: droplet

138: energy source

140: energy

142: path

144: Controller

146: memory

148: surface

150: polymer patterned layer

152: residual layer

154: convex part

156: concave part

158: sensor

302: template alignment mark

304: Substrate alignment mark

402: Measurement signal

410: Feedforward controller

412: The first feedforward signal

414: The second feedforward control signal

416: The third feedforward signal

420: First meeting

422: The first input signal

430: Align feedback controller

432: Alignment trajectory information

440:Second Junction

442: Second input signal

450: Platform Feedback Controller

452:Second trajectory information

460: The third junction

462: Platform movement control signal

470: Platform Amplifier

472: output control signal

474:Platform location information

476: Platform position sensor

502: The first feed-forward generator

504: the second feed-forward generator

506: The third feed-forward generator

S602: step

S604: step

S606: step

S608: step

S610: step

S612: step

S614: step

S615: step

S616: step

702: target marker distance

[Fig. 1] A side view depicting a nanoimprint lithography system.

[ Fig. 2 ] A side view depicting the substrate of Fig. 1 .

[ FIG. 3 ] Depicts a side view of a nanoimprint lithography template in contact with a liquid imprint resist on a substrate, showing an initial alignment error X0 between a pair of exemplary alignment marks on the template and the substrate, respectively.

[ FIG. 4 ] Depicts a block diagram showing feedforward and feedback control for aligning marks on the template and substrate.

[Figs. 5A-5C] show different types of feedforward controllers shown in Fig. 4.

[ Fig. 6 ] is a flow chart detailing the alignment control algorithm.

[Fig. 7] is a graphical representation of the feedforward signals used to generate various moving trajectories.

[FIGS. 8A and 8B] are graphical representations of the time taken for the control signal to converge to the target position.

FIG. 1 shows an embossed microstructure forming a relief pattern on a substrate 102. Shadow system 100. The substrate 102 may be coupled to a substrate chuck 104 . In some examples, the substrate chuck 104 includes a vacuum chuck, pin chuck, recessed chuck, electromagnetic chuck, or other suitable chuck. Exemplary chucks are described in US Patent No. 6,873,087, which is incorporated herein by reference. Substrate 102 and substrate chuck 104 may be further supported by platform 106 . The platform 106 provides movement about the x-, y-, and z-axes and rotation about the z-axis (eg, Θ). In this regard, platform 106 may refer to an XYθ platform. Platform 106, substrate 102, and substrate chuck 104 may also be located on a susceptor (not shown).

The imprint lithography system 100 includes an imprint lithography template 108 spaced apart from a substrate 102 . In some examples, the template 108 includes a mesa 110 (mold 110 ) extending from the template 108 toward the substrate 102 . In some examples, mold 110 includes patterned surface 112 . Template 108 and/or mold 110 may be formed from materials including, but not limited to, fused silica, quartz, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, borosilicate glass, fluorocarbon polymers, metal , hardened sapphire or other suitable material. In the illustrated example, patterned surface 112 includes a plurality of features defined by spaced apart recesses 124 and protrusions 126 . The patterns formed as described above are for example purposes only, and any type of pattern may also be present on the patterned surface 112 . Thus, the patterned surface 112 may define any pattern that forms the basis of the pattern that will be formed on the substrate 102 through the imprint process.

Template 108 may be coupled to template chuck 128 . In some examples, template chuck 128 includes a vacuum chuck, pin chuck, recessed chuck, electromagnetic chuck, or other suitable chuck. Exemplary chucks are patented in the U.S. No. 6,873,087 described. In some embodiments, template chuck 128 may be the same type as substrate chuck 104 . In other embodiments, the template chuck 128 and the substrate chuck may be different types of chucks. Additionally, template chuck 128 may be coupled to imprint head 130 such that template chuck 128 , imprint head 130 , or both are configured to facilitate movement of template 108 . Movement of the template 108 includes movement relative to the template in the plane of the template (in-plane movement) and movement out of the plane of the template (out-of-plane movement). In-plane movement includes translation of the template 108 in the plane of the template (eg, in the XY plane depicted in FIG. 1 ) and rotation of the template in the plane of the template (eg, in the XY plane and about the Z axis). The translation or rotation of the template 108 relative to the substrate 102 can also be achieved through the translation or rotation of the substrate. In-plane movement of the template 108 also involves increasing or decreasing the compressive force on the opposite side of the template (eg, using a magnification actuator) to increase or decrease the size of the template in the XY plane of the template. Out-of-plane movement of the template 108 includes translation of the template along the Z axis (e.g., increasing or decreasing the force applied to the substrate via the template by increasing or decreasing the distance between the template and the substrate) and translation of the template about the template's axes in the XY plane. rotate. Rotation of the template 108 about an axis in the XY plane of the template changes the angle between the XY plane of the template 108 and the XY plane of the substrate 102, and is referred to herein as "tilting" the template relative to the substrate, or changing the angle relative to the substrate. The "tilt" or "tilt angle" of the template. US Patent No. 8,387,482 discloses movement of a template through an imprint head in an imprint lithography system and is incorporated herein by reference.

The imprint lithography system 100 may also include a fluid distribution system 132 . Fluid distribution system 132 may be used to deposit polymerizable Composite material 134. The polymerizable material 134 may be disposed on the substrate 102 using techniques such as drop dispensing, spin coating, dip coating, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), thin film deposition, thick film deposition, or other suitable methods. . In some examples, polymerizable material 134 is disposed on substrate 102 either before or after the desired volume is defined between mold 110 and substrate 102 . The polymerizable material 134 may comprise monomers as disclosed in US Patent No. 7,157,036 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0187339, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some examples, polymerizable material 134 is disposed on substrate 102 as a plurality of droplets 136 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , imprint lithography system 100 may further include an energy source 138 coupled to direct energy 140 along path 142 . In some examples, imprint head 130 and stage 106 are configured to position template 108 and substrate 102 to overlap path 142 . The imprint lithography system 100 can be regulated by a controller 144 in communication with the platform 106, the imprint head 130, the fluid distribution system 132, the energy source 138, or any combination thereof, and can be stored in the computer memory 146. Read the operation on the program.

In some examples, imprint head 130 , platform 106 , or both vary the distance between mold 110 and substrate 102 to define a desired volume therebetween that is filled with polymerizable material 134 . For example, imprint head 130 may apply force to template 108 such that mold 110 contacts polymerizable material 134 . After the desired volume is filled with polymerizable material 134, energy source 138 generates energy 140, such as broadband ultraviolet radiation, to cause polymerizable material 134 to polymerize and conform to the shape of surface 148 of substrate 102 and patterned surface 112, thereby A polymer patterned layer 150 is defined on the substrate 102 . In some examples, patterned layer 150 includes residual layer 152 and a plurality of features shown as protrusions 154 and recesses 156 , wherein protrusions 154 have a thickness t1 and residual layer 152 have a thickness t2.

The systems and procedures described above can be further implemented in reference to U.S. Patent No. 6,932,934, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0124566, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0188381, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0211754 (all of which through in the imprint lithography programs and systems incorporated herein by reference).

The imprint lithography substrate and template may contain corresponding pairs of alignment marks that allow instant alignment of the template and substrate. After the patterned template is placed on (eg, superimposed on) the substrate, the alignment of the template alignment marks relative to the substrate alignment marks is determined. Alignment schemes can include "through-table" (TTM) measurement of alignment errors associated with corresponding alignment marks, followed by compensation of these errors to achieve precise alignment of the desired imprint position on the template and substrate. standards, as disclosed in US Patent Nos. 6,916,585; 7,170,589; 7,298,456; and 7,420,654, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alignment errors may be due to the relative positioning of the substrate and template, deformation of the substrate or template, or a combination thereof.

3 illustrates a side view of imprint lithography template 108 in contact with liquid imprint resist 134 on substrate 102, showing the distance between an exemplary pair of alignment marks 302 and 304 on template 108 and substrate 102, respectively. First or initial alignment error X0. The alignment error X0 can be measured by an image capture device such as the sensor 158 . In some examples, sensor 158 includes a A TTM alignment instrument that detects diffracted light from alignment marks 302 and 304 that can pass through liquid imprint resist 134 . The initial alignment error X0 may exceed the allowable alignment error, for example, it may be less than 10 nm with a repeatability of 1 nm or less. Although the sensor 158 is described as an image capture device, this is exemplary only and the image capture device may comprise any device capable of detecting, capturing and transmitting diffracted light in real time.

Alignment error X0 may be primarily due to placement errors, rotation errors, and/or compliance and hysteresis of stage 106 (e.g., an XYθ stage), and may include errors in the x and y axes as well as errors around the z-axis (θ) rotate. For example, placement errors typically refer to XY positioning errors between the template and substrate (that is, translation along the X axis, the Y axis, or both, where the X and Y axes lie in the plane of the imprinting surface of the template or substrate. or parallel to the embossed surface, as shown in Figure 1). Rotation (θ) error generally refers to relative orientation error about the Z axis (that is, rotation about the Z axis, where the Z axis is orthogonal to the XY plane as shown in FIG. 1 ).

Placement errors in the offset of the template alignment marks 302 and corresponding substrate alignment marks 304 in the XY plane can be compensated for by relative movement of the template and substrate (e.g., by controlling the substrate, template, or both in the XY plane). the movement). Rotation errors can be compensated for by changing the relative angle of the template and substrate in the XY plane (eg, through rotation of the substrate, template, or both).

The present invention sets forth a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the imprint system described above with reference to FIGS. mesa The pattern defined at 110 is successfully printed on substrate 102 . In other words, a control algorithm will be described below to keep the reduced error value, generally indicated by X0, below a predetermined error threshold for a predetermined period of time. Preferably, the result is such that the relative distance between the marks on the template and the marks on the substrate is less than a predetermined distance value. However, due to the various physical properties of both the substrate and the polymer used to imprint the pattern thereon, there has been some difficulty in achieving an acceptable level of this error within an acceptable period of time. More specifically, starting with depositing a polymer (such as an imprint resist) on a substrate and applying energy to it during curing, the substrate and template are aligned such that the relative distance between each alignment mark is It is difficult to stay within the predetermined range.

In order to align the template and the marks on the substrate, control signals are generated to control the movement of the stage in the XYθ direction. The control signal includes one or more parameter values that are converted into electrical signals that are applied to a platform motor (not shown) to move the platform to a desired target position. The parameter values constituting the control signal may be any one or more of an acceleration value, a velocity value, a rotation value and a time value indicating when the movement occurs.

Depending on the parameter values determined during the alignment process, one of two common problems results. One possible problem is related to overshooting of the target position, as one or more parameter values together result in a trajectory that causes the stage to move such that a mark on the substrate crosses a mark on the template, necessitating further alignment corrections. Another possible problem has to do with stalling. Stall represents the parameter value of the control signal that caused the platform to move too slowly. As such, the energy applied to the substrate across the template cures and polymerizes the liquid resist, causing the alignment process to stall until the marks are aligned. By using the controls described in this An algorithm is developed to address these issues by using at least two feed-forward signals per sample that are integrated with the feedback signal in order to continuously modify and update the control signals used to move the platform towards the target position. By continuously monitoring the positional information of the stage and the substrate relative to the position of the template, and using these measurements, the system as described herein succeeds in reducing the error value between the alignment marks more rapidly without compromising the characteristics of the substrate 102. adverse effect, and within a predetermined amount of time before the polymerizable material 134 polymerizes.

Figure 4 shows an example control block diagram for feedforward and feedback control. A control system as described herein is shown embodied as part of controller 144 in system 100 shown in FIG. 1 . Controller 144 includes at least one central processing unit (CPU) and memory, and may execute instructions stored in memory to perform one or more of the described operations and/or functions. Controller 144 is in communication with one or more memories (eg, RAM and/or ROM), and in some cases executes stored instructions to perform one or more control operations. In other cases, controller 144 may temporarily store data in one or more memories, which are used in the calculations and generation of various signals described below. Thus, the controller 144 controls the system 100 of FIG. 1 through the use of a computer program (a series of one or more stored instructions executable by the CPU) and data stored in RAM and/or ROM. Here, the controller 144 may include (or may be in communication with) one or more dedicated hardware or graphics processing units (GPUs) other than the CPU, and the GPUs or dedicated hardware may perform a portion of the processing by the CPU. As examples of dedicated hardware, there are Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Digital Signal Processors (DSPs). In one embodiment, the control Control system 100 may be implemented as part of controller 144 as shown in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, controller 144 may be a dedicated controller. In other embodiments, the control system 100 may include a plurality of controllers in communication with each other and other elements of the control system 100 to achieve the operations described herein.

Hereinafter, the block diagram of FIG. 4 that performs the control function according to the present invention will be described. Although reference is made below to various controllers, in some embodiments, each controller may contain a stored series of instructions that are executed by the CPU of controller 144 to perform the described functions. In other embodiments, each of the controllers described herein may be embodied as separate integrated circuits, each with their own CPU and memory, and dedicated to performing the processes associated therewith. In other embodiments, one or more of the controllers described herein may be embodied as a single integrated circuit. Additionally, in some embodiments, some of the controllers described may be dedicated processing units and communicate with the controller's CPU executing stored instructions to perform the functional operations described herein.

4 includes a sensor 158, a feedforward controller 410, an alignment feedback controller 430, a stage feedback controller 450, and a stage amplifier 470 (hereinafter "amplifier 470"). Located between the aforementioned elements are a number of interfaces that combine the signals output by corresponding controllers that feed the signals through addition, subtraction, or convolution. Each of the elements described above operates as follows so that the stage supporting the substrate is moved to a target position representing an alignment error value within a predetermined alignment error range. In one embodiment, the target position represents an alignment error value of substantially zero, which indicates that the substrate The markings on the stencil align directly with the markings on the template.

Each of alignment feedback controller 430 and platform feedback controller 450 may be implemented as a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller or any other feedback controller. In doing so, an exemplary control function for processing various input signals to generate output signals may be such as

where K _p , K _i and K _d represent proportional, integral and derivative control terms, respectively, for controlling specific operations embodying the controller. The manner in which said control function is performed by a feedback controller is known and requires no further description, and error values are continuously calculated based on inputs received therein. The first interface 420 is located between the feedforward controller 410 and the sensor 158 and operates by obtaining the difference between the first feedforward control signal 412 and the measurement signal 402 representing the position of the mark on the template relative to the mark on the substrate. to generate the first input signal 422 to the alignment feedback controller 430 . The first feedforward signal 412 represents alignment reference trajectory information and is generated based on the measurement signal 402 and the reference trajectory information stored in memory. The first feedforward signal 412 includes at least one parameter defining one or more aspects for controlling the movement operation of the platform. For example, at least one parameter may comprise one or more of: (a) a desired position value for initiating movement of the platform along the determined trajectory, (b) a desired velocity value, (c) a desired desired acceleration value; (d) desired rotation value, and (e) desired start time. The first feedforward signal can be a feedforward trajectory in the Phase Plane (x-axis: position, y-axis: velocity), and then map it to the time domain (x-axis: time, y-axis: position) to Generates a feed-forward signal on a per-sample basis. Trajectories in the phase plane can be optimized offline or online through iterative learning and model prediction based on the friction changes observed from the feedforward and feedback signals. This optimization is to achieve minimal overshoot and undershoot with minimal oscillation and to converge the timing to align the template and the marks on the substrate with each other.

By utilizing the real-time measured position of the substrate relative to the template and the reference trajectory information, the first feedforward signal 412 can represent a polynomial or exponential decay line in the position-velocity phase plane, which is converted to the time domain. In this way, alignment controller 430 may generate an alignment trajectory by combining the alignment reference trajectory information of first feedforward signal 412 with the measured position value encoded in measurement signal 402 acquired in real time from sensor 158 (sometimes referred to as control commands or control forces), which allow for faster alignment of marks on substrates and stencils. The alignment controller 430 generates alignment trajectory information 432 based on the first input signal 422 , and outputs the alignment trajectory information 432 to the second interface 440 . In other words, the alignment feedback controller continuously calculates the alignment error value e _TTM (t)=FF ₁ (t)-POS _TTM (t) according to the equation

where e _TTM represents the error value at a given time, FF ₁ is the value of the first feedforward signal 412 generated by the feedforward controller 410, and _POSTTM is the value obtained by the sensor 158 relative to the value supported by the platform 106 The current position of the template for the substrate. After calculating the error value, the alignment feedback controller 430 outputs the alignment track information as U _AL (t) . As described below, the alignment trajectory information 432 will be used to generate a trajectory (or control force) along which the stage is moved to align the substrate and template.

The feedforward controller 410 also outputs a second feedforward control signal 414 to the second interface 440 . In one embodiment, the first feedforward signal 412 and the second feedforward signal 414 are the same. In another embodiment, the second feedforward signal is generated based on the first feedforward signal 412 . For example, in one embodiment, the second feedforward signal 414 may be an amplitude or time shifted version of the first feedforward signal 412, wherein the first feedforward signal 412 is shifted from an initial start time. For example, in one embodiment, the second feedforward signal 414 FF ₂ may be an amplitude-shifted version of the first feedforward signal 412 FF ₁ , wherein the amplitude FF _shift of the first feedforward signal 412 is expressed as follows.

FF ₂ ( t ) = FF ₁ ( t ) + FF _shift

Thus, if the target position to which the stage is to be moved represents substantially zero alignment error, the second feed-forward signal 414 has the same value as the first feed-forward signal 412, but with the same value as the first feed-forward signal starting at the measured position 402. A feedforward signal 412 is compared, which starts from the zero target position. Another example of generating the second feedforward signal 414 includes applying the transfer function f ( ) to the first feedforward signal 412, as described in the following equation. where f ( ) is a non-linear transformation involving a time shift.

FF ₂ ( t ) = f ( FF ₁ ( t ))

The transfer function f ( ) may represent non-linear friction that causes desynchronization of movement sensed through stage position sensor 476 and indicia sensor 158 . In another embodiment, the second feedforward signal 414 is generated independently of the first feedforward signal 412 .

In addition to the alignment trajectory information 432 and the second feedforward signal 414, the second interface 440 receives a stage position sensor 476 from an amplifier 470 The acquired platform location information 474 is used as input. The platform position information 474 represents the current measured position of the platform 106 at the end of the platform movement operation requested by the amplifier 470 . The second interface 440 combines the alignment information 432 with the second feedforward signal 414 , and then obtains the difference between the combined signal and the platform position information 474 to generate the second input signal 442 . The second input signal 442 is input to the platform feedback controller and produces platform trajectory information 452 as its output. Although the platform position sensor 476 is shown separate from the platform 106, this is exemplary only and is shown to facilitate understanding of system operation. It should be understood that the platform position sensor 476 may be included in the platform 106 .

It should be noted that the platform sensor feedback 474 sensed by the platform position sensor 476 and the marker sensor feedback 402 are not the same signal, although both feedback signals are derived from the operation of the platform 106 for each sample. . This is because the marker sensor feedback 402 and the platform sensor feedback 474 are not in the same coordinate space and therefore are not synchronized. With respect to the coordinate space in which these coordinate spaces exist, the platform sensor feedback 474 has an original position that is typically set to zero, and is set to be the same as the entire device (eg, machine) in the global coordinate system. However, when the marking error between the template and the substrate is zero, the marking sensor feedback 402 is set to zero. This can be seen in Figure 3 as X0. The coordinate space of the mark sensor 158 is the space relative to the template and the substrate. In other words, the coordinate space of the marker sensor 158 that generates the marker sensor feedback 402 is the local coordinate system. The prediction information embodied in feedforward signals 412 and 414 is generated by taking into account the shift of the two coordinate spaces.

In addition to shifts due to different coordinate spaces In addition, non-linear friction between the template and the substrate may also cause non-linear scaling and time and amplitude shifts between the first feedforward signal 412 and the second feedforward signal 414 . For example, in this extreme case, even though the stage sensor feedback 474 indicates that the stage 106 is moving, the very high friction between the substrate and the template will cause the mark sensor 158 to detect that a stall has occurred ( For example, substrate and formwork glued together). In embodiments such as these, the generation of the first feedforward signal 412 and the second feedforward signal 414 may require the implementation of a non-linear transfer function as part of the operation of the feedforward controller 410 .

Platform feedback controller 450 continuously calculates an error value related to the position of the platform as controlled by amplifier 470 . The error value can be calculated by the platform feedback controller 450 using the following equation: e _stage (t) = U _AL (t) + FF ₂ (t) - POS _stage (t)

where e _stage represents the error value of the platform position, U _AL (t) represents the alignment trajectory information 432, represents the second feedforward signal 414 (for example, the constant shift ( FF _shift ) addition form of FF ₁ (t) ) FF ₂ (t) and POS _stage are the current position of the stage 106 operated by the amplifier 470 and sensed by the stage position sensor 476 . In this process, the second feedforward signal 414 ( FF ₂ (t) ) also includes a value related to at least one parameter value from the first feedforward signal 412 . In one embodiment, the parameter values in the second feedforward signal 414 are the same as the parameter values in the first feedforward signal 412, except for the added offset due to the constant offset discussed above. In another embodiment, one or more of at least one parameter value representing movement control (e.g., position, velocity, rotation, acceleration) may be based on determining an error value determined as part of alignment trajectory information processing The error value is updated, thereby improving the platform trajectory information 452 output by the platform feedback controller 450 .

In one embodiment, the platform trajectory information 452 is output directly to the amplifier 470, which converts the platform trajectory information 452 into an electrical signal, which is then applied to the platform 106 (shown in FIG. 1) to drive the platform 106 toward the target position. At the end of the platform movement at the end of the platform trajectory defined in signal 452, the platform amplifier 470 takes commands from the platform feedback controller 450 within the platform amplifier 470 and outputs this command as the platform electrical signal used to generate the platform movement. The new platform position is obtained through the platform position sensor and fed back to the second interface 440 for determining the error value as described above. The platform control command information 452 can be output as U _stage (t) (output control signal 472 ).

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the control system includes a third interface 460 disposed between the platform feedback controller 450 and the platform amplifier 470 . The third interface 460 combines the platform trajectory information 452 with the third feedforward signal 416 generated and output by the feedforward controller 410 . The third feedforward signal 416 is a mobile control command prediction signal. In one embodiment, it is used to control the stage 106 by taking the difference between the target position of the stage with substantially zero alignment error and the second feedforward signal 414 and multiplying the difference by the stage feedback controller 450 (Figure 1) resulting from the shifted proportional gain. The third feedforward signal 416 can be calculated according to the following equation: FF ₃ =( POS _target − FF ₂ (t))* P _gain

Where FF ₃ is the third feedforward signal 416 , POS _target represents the target stage position at which the alignment error is substantially zero, and P _gain represents the gain applied by the stage feedback controller 450 to control the movement of the stage. The third interface 460 combines FF ₃ and U _stage (t) to generate a stage movement control signal 462 as an input of a stage amplifier 470 . The stage amplifier 470 converts the signal into a voltage or current (output control signal 472), which is used in accordance with the movement control signal generated by combining the third feedforward signal 416 ( FF ₃ ) and the stage command information 452 ( U _stage (t)) to drive the platform 106.

By generating and using the third feedforward signal 416 and the stage trajectory information 452, less phase delay is caused by the stage feedback controller processing, which results in faster alignment. Another advantage presented through the use of the third feedforward signal 416 allows greater design freedom to reduce shear forces and overcome static and non-linear movement friction during alignment and curing procedures. In addition, the third feedforward signal 416 focuses on the residual error between the second feedforward signal 414 and the target position. This advantageously improves the tuning capability of the stage trajectory information by updating the stage trajectory information based on the third feedforward signal 416 so that the stage moves along a trajectory that will more quickly align the marks on the substrate and template. It can also be used to minimize the desynchronization between the first and second feed-forwards caused by non-linear friction between the template and the substrate; Complexity.

Based on the above, the control system of FIG. 4 advantageously enables the first and second feedforward signals to be focused on the respective feedback loops, so that the feedback controller 430 and the platform feedback controller 450 are aligned and can be more easily tuned, Because their processing focuses on the residual error between the current position and the respective first and second feedforward trajectory information generated by the feedforward controller 410 . This allows the third feedforward signal to be based on the latest end position of the platform defined by the previous platform trajectory to bring the platform closer to the target position. An exemplary time trace illustrating a feedforward signal is shown in FIG. 7 . Displayed in seconds along the x-axis time, and the y-axis shows position in nanometers. This shows the difference in position at a specific time, showing the relative distance between the substrate and template from the target position. In FIG. 7 , target marker alignment is represented by a target marker distance of 0 labeled 702 . The first feedforward signal 412 is based on the position information sensed by the marker sensor 158 and starts slightly after the initial time 0 seconds. As indicated herein, the first feedforward signal 412 is used to generate alignment trajectory information. A second feedforward signal 414 having substantially the same characteristics as the first feedforward signal 412 is added with an offset, and instead of starting at the position sensed by the sensor 158, is re-initialized to start at the current platform position , which can be the first initialization of zero or the last platform position before reinitialization. As shown herein, the second feedforward signal 414 is used to generate platform trajectory information. Based on this, substantially at the same time, the third feedforward signal 416 representing the movement control command prediction information is generated based on the second feedforward signal 414 . Thus, over time, the sensed marker positions are as indicated in the alignment trajectory and convergence of movement prediction information indicating the alignment of the substrate and template.

If the initial error from the marker sensor is within a predetermined range, the feedforward controller replaces the first feedforward with the target marker position and sets the second and third feedforwards to zero. If the initial error from the mark sensor is outside a predetermined range, a first feedforward will be generated to zero the mark error, and the second and third feedforwards will be generated as described above. If the generated feedforward has been used, and the marker error from the end of the track of the marker sensor is still greater than a predetermined range, the feedforward will be regenerated based on the marker error at the end of the feedforward as a new initial error. The second feedforward will also be done by using the end of the previous feedforward trace as the starting point reproduce. The predetermined range may be position, velocity or acceleration based on marker sensor error. If the error from the marker sensor reaches the target before the feedforward completes the last sample, the feedforward signal can skip to the last sample or continue until the last sample.

Additional advantages of the third feed-forward presented by existing control systems are apparent when referring to Figures 8A and 8B, which show the platform reaching the target position and using two feed-forward control signals (Figure 8A) and three feed-forward A graphical representation of the length of time it takes to feed the control signal (FIG. 8B) to align the substrate and template. It can be seen from Figure 8B that the time for all traces to converge to the target position of zero is reduced compared to Figure 8A. This is a direct result of the third feed-forward that overcomes time delays and stiction. Another benefit shown is that at the end of the platform movement control signal smaller than the third feedforward, stalls are overcome faster than the scheme with only two feedforwards. A smaller platform control command force proximate to the aligned end can reduce the amount of force experienced by the polymerizable material 134 when energizing polymerization.

While FIG. 4 shows the overall control system embodied by various controllers and sensors, FIGS. 5A-5C show additional configurations for how the individual elements are embodied. Figure 5A shows a more detailed view of the feedforward controller 410 in an embodiment where two feedforward control signals are generated and integrated with the various feedback control signals described above. As shown herein, each block may represent a corresponding CPU that performs the calculations described above. In FIG. 5A, the feedforward controller 410 may include a first feedforward generator 502, which is a processing unit (CPU) that receives an input from the sensor 158 to generate a first feedforward control signal 412 representing alignment reference trajectory information. ). In addition, the first feedforward generator 502 can output the first feedforward signal to the operator The second feedforward generator 504 is a processing unit (the same as the first feedforward generator or a separate CPU). Next, the second feedforward generator 504 generates a second feedforward signal 414 to output to the platform controller 450 . Although shown here as signals output directly to controllers 430 and 450 , it should be noted that this could indicate an output to the various interfaces discussed in FIG. 4 . Alternatively, the functionality performed through the interface may be encapsulated in each alignment of feedback controller 430 and platform feedback controller 450 . FIG. 5B shows an embodiment in which a third feed-forward signal including motion prediction information can be generated. In this embodiment, the feed-forward controller 410 includes a third feed-forward generator 506, which may itself be its own processing unit CPU, or may have one or both of the first and second feed-forward generators. part of the processing unit. As further shown by the dashed box in FIG. 5B , an exemplary configuration embodies the feedforward controller 410 and the alignment feedback controller 430 on a single processing unit separate from the platform feedback controller 450 . Figure 5C contains similar elements to those shown in Figure 5B, except that the dashed boxes indicate that the feedforward controller 410, the alignment feedback controller 430, and the platform feedback controller 450 are embodied on a single processing unit.

It should be appreciated that the feedforward controller 410 described above shows that at least two but sometimes three feedforward signals are generated and used to control the movement of the platform 106 . As mentioned above, this control can be performed by using the first feedforward signal 412 and the second feedforward signal 414 . In addition, the above description indicates that the third feedforward signal 416 can be used in combination with the first feedforward signal 412 and the second feedforward signal 414 . It should also be understood that the algorithm may further use the first feedforward signal in conjunction with the third feedforward signal 416 as well. Alternatively, only the second feedforward signal 414 and the third feedforward signal 416 may be used. Determination of how and when these three feed-forward signals are determined depends on the error calculations performed and whether the calculated errors are outside a predetermined range, thus requiring more (or less) active predictive information to be generated to control the platform Move so that the marks on the template align with the marks on the substrate. The goal of various combinations of feed-forward signals (412, 414, 416) may be to predict a set of fast and stable positions and control trajectories prior to controlling forces. Another goal might be to keep the feedback errors (422 and 442) as small as possible. In an embodiment, there is an ideal relationship among the three synchronous feedforwards, which can be written as follows: Sys ₄₁₂ ( FF ₁ )= Sys ₄₁₄ ( FF ₂ )+ Sys ₄₁₆ ( FF ₃ )

where Sys _xxx represents the open loop system response with inputs to the feedforward signals 412 , 414 and 416 . In another embodiment, the waveforms of the three feedforward signals can be determined by model reference design, iterative learning, and/or repetitive control. In an embodiment, two or more feed-forward signals may be optimized based on one or more of: coordinated system differences between stage alignment and marker alignment, non-linearity between substrate and template friction.

Turning now to FIG. 6 , an exemplary control algorithm for implementing alignment control is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The following description will use reference symbols related to FIGS. 1 to 4 to denote processing units that perform algorithmic control. As indicated herein, the algorithm represents a method of controlling the position of the movable platform on which the substrate is supported. In step S602 , first position information indicating the measured position of the substrate relative to the mark on the template is acquired through the sensor 158 . The first position information represents the current measurement position of the platform 106 and the relative distance between the marks on the substrate and the template. The first position information is provided to each of the feedforward controller 410 and the alignment feedback controller 430 .

In step S604 , the feedforward controller 410 generates alignment reference trajectory information based on the acquired first position. The generated alignment reference trajectory information represents the first, second and third feedforward signals 412, 414 and 416, output from the feedforward controller 410 and containing at least one parameter value for controlling the movement of the movable platform to the target position , so that the determined alignment error between the marks on the substrate and the template is substantially zero. The at least one parameter comprises one or more of the following: (a) a desired position value, (b) a desired velocity value, (c) for initiating movement of the platform along the determined trajectory ) the desired acceleration value, and (d) the desired start time.

In step S606, the alignment feedback controller generates first trajectory information. The first trajectory information represents the alignment trajectory information output by the alignment feedback controller 420 and includes at least one parameter value based on the obtained first position information and the generated alignment prediction information. The first trajectory information is the first feedback signal 422 generated by obtaining the difference between the acquired first position information and the feed-forward alignment reference trajectory information.

In step S608, the second track information 452 is generated. The second trajectory information 452 is generated by the platform feedback controller 450 and based on the alignment prediction information and 414, the error value is determined from the second reference trajectory information 432 and the platform position information 474 representing the current position of the movable platform. Thus, the generated second trajectory information 452 includes at least one parameter value that has been updated based on the calculated error value. The second trajectory information represents the second feedback signal generated by combining the second feedforward signal 414 , the alignment trajectory information 432 and the position signal representing the current position of the platform 106 . In some embodiments, S608 may also include a second error confirmation A process is defined that determines a second error value based on a current position of the movable platform that moves according to the second trajectory information and the target position.

In step S610, the platform feedback controller 450 generates an output control signal 472 including the updated at least one parameter value, and outputs the control signal to the platform amplifier 470, and the platform amplifier 470, in step S612, based on The generated output signal is used to control the movable platform to approach the target position. The output control signal 472 generated in step S610 may also include a third feedforward signal determined by the above-mentioned second error processing, so that the platform can be controlled in step S612 to move according to the updated parameter value.

In step S614, it is determined by the sensor 158 whether the error value related to the relative position of the mark on the substrate and the mark on the template is within a predetermined error range. If the determination in S614 is affirmative, indicating that the error value is within an acceptable range, the determination indicates that the marks on the template and the marks on the substrate are aligned with each other, and the control algorithm ends in S615.

If the determination is negative, it indicates that the marks on the substrate and the marks on the template are not aligned. In this case, the algorithm repeats steps S602-S612. As such, each of the information and trajectory values described herein above are updated such that one or more parameters contained therein and used to control the movement of the platform are modified based on both feedback and feedforward control. These updates are based on updates obtained by the sensors after the movable platform has moved according to the output control signal 472 and reached a final position that is not a target position The first location for .

In addition to repeating steps S602-S612, in response to a negative determination, the algorithm generates motion prediction information as a third feedforward signal 416 in step S616. As such, in response to determining based on the output control signal 472 that the final position of the moveable platform is outside a predetermined distance from the target position (e.g., the error value is greater than a predetermined error threshold), motion controller predictive information is generated and includes information based on the moveable platform. The updated at least one parameter value of the final position determination. The updated at least one parameter value is updated based on a difference between the final position and the second trajectory information. The mobile controller prediction information is combined with the second trajectory information to generate the updated output control signal 472, which is then used to control the movable platform based on the updated output control signal 472.

According to the algorithm described above, the relative position of the template and the substrate can be successfully controlled by receiving alignment information representing the relative position of the marks on the template with respect to the alignment marks on the substrate. A feed-forward alignment trajectory is then generated based on the alignment information and may contain one or more of desired position, desired velocity, desired acceleration, and desired start time such as a feed-forward alignment trajectory parameters. Based on this, an alignment error time series can be generated that represents the feed-forward alignment trajectory minus the measured alignment trajectory, where these trajectories each contain one or more parameters, such as position, velocity, and acceleration. The alignment error time series can be transformed into an alignment closed-loop feedback control output time series, which is then used to generate platform trajectory information used by the amplifier as input information, as an alignment closed-loop feedback control output time series plus platform feed-forward sum of trajectories. platform back The feedback controller receives platform controller input information and feedback information from the platform position sensor, which measures the position of the platform and continuously updates and modifies the platform trajectory information, and then the platform feedback controller uses the platform trajectory information to drive the position of the platform towards the goal.

The present invention provides a dynamic feed-forward re-initialization mechanism for generating new feed-forward trajectory information if the final position of the platform results in the platform not being within a predetermined threshold of the target position. In this manner, the feedforward controller is reinitialized to generate an updated feedforward signal based on the most recent position of the stage, as determined by the sensor 158 that senses the relative position between the substrate and template. Due to feed-forward reinitialization, position error can be reduced along with feedback gain and overall system complexity. In operation, the sensor 158, which measures the relative distance between the substrate and the template, is used to measure the absolute distance traveled by the stage. When the first sample is taken, the generated feed-forward starts at an initial position based on sensor data, and then a re-initialized feed-forward system is used to start from the overall control force, resulting in a plateau during the previous sample final position. Thus, the dual feedback loop can be reinitialized at the beginning of each feedforward reinitialization. This operation advantageously enables the presently described control system to provide fast and consistent alignment for imprint lithography, and to compensate for physical changes in the liquid interior of the liquid resist and the substrate when imprinting begins. The algorithm described above overcomes the variability and non-linearity related disadvantages associated with feedback control systems to reduce overshoot, undershoot and stall during imprint lithography. Accordingly, the control algorithms provided herein increase the throughput and efficiency of mass production of one or more items from a substrate.

Therefore, the control algorithm detailed above can be applied to semiconductor The process of manufacturing to manufacture one or more articles or devices. These procedures for processing successfully aligned substrates according to the control algorithms described herein above include, but are not limited to: imprint lithography; and lithography; baking; oxidation; layer formation; deposition; doping; etching; stripping slag; cutting; bonding; encapsulation; etc. The substrate may be further processed using other known steps and procedures for article manufacture, including for example inspection, curing, oxidation, layer formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, formable material removal, dicing, bonding, encapsulation, etc. Based on the above, a substrate can be processed to produce a plurality of items (devices).

In one example, the process may include dispensing an imprint resist (eg, a liquid) on the substrate and contacting the imprint resist with an object such that the object having the pattern thereon contacts the imprint resist. etchant. The process includes an alignment process to align a substrate and an object (eg, a template) to a predetermined alignment position, followed by processing the substrate on which the imprint resist has been dispensed to manufacture an article. Thus, energy is applied to the substrate to cure the resist and form a pattern on the substrate corresponding to the pattern on the template. This procedure is repeated to align the object and substrate before the resist is cured by the applied energy.

A number of implementations have been described. However, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the appended claims.

The embodiments of the present invention can implement one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and utilize Executed by programs that are read and executed by one or more processors in the computer of the system or device. Additionally, embodiments of the invention may be implemented by circuitry (eg, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) that performs one or more functions.

Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer of a system or device that can read and execute the ) on computer-executable instructions (eg, one or more programs) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments, and/or include one or more circuits (eg, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), To perform one or more functions in the above-mentioned one or more embodiments, and through the computer-executed method of the system or device, for example, reading and executing computer-executable instructions from a storage medium to perform the above-mentioned one or more One or more functions in one embodiment and/or control one or more circuits to perform one or more functions in one or more embodiments above. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), microprocessing unit (MPU)), and may include individual computers or networks of individual processors to read and execute computer Executable instructions. Computer-executable instructions may be provided to a computer, for example, from a network or a storage medium. The storage media may include, for example, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), storage for distributed computing systems, optical disks such as compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), ) or one or more of Blu-ray Disc (BD) ^™ ), flash memory device, memory card, etc.

When referring to the specification, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed examples. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily delay long the present invention.

It will be understood that if an element or component is referred to as being "on," "opposite," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or component herein, it can be directly thereon. On, opposite, connected or coupled to another element or component, or intervening elements or components may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or component, there are no intervening elements or components present. If used, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

For ease of description, terms such as "under", "below", "below", "below", "above", "higher" may be used herein Spatially relative terms such as ", "adjacent", and "distant" are used to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another or more elements or features, as shown in the drawings. It will be understood, however, that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, a spatially relative term such as "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90° or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the relative spatial terms "proximal" and "distal" are also interchangeable where applicable.

As used herein, the term "about" means, for example, within 10%, within 5%, or less. In some embodiments, the term "about" can mean within a measurement error.

The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, components and/or sections. It should be understood that these elements, components, regions, components and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, section or section from another element, component, region, section or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, component or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, component or section without departing from the teachings herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be further understood that when the word "comprising" and/or "comprises" is used in this specification, it specifies the presence of said features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or parts, but does not exclude an unspecified one. or the presence or addition of multiple other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and/or groups thereof.

The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Various modifications and alterations to the described exemplary embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

In describing example embodiments shown in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification It is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element encompasses all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner.

102: Substrate

108:Template

134: Polymerizable material

158: sensor

302: template alignment mark

304: Substrate alignment mark

Claims (20)

A method of controlling the position of a movable platform having a substrate supported thereon, the method comprising: obtaining first position information from a sensor representing a position of the substrate relative to a marking on the object; generating alignment prediction information based on the obtained first position, the generated alignment prediction information including at least one parameter value; generating first trajectory information comprising the at least one parameter value based on the acquired first position information and the generated alignment prediction information; generating second trajectory information based on the generated alignment prediction information, the first trajectory information, and second location information, wherein the second location information represents a location of the movable platform; generating an output control signal based on the second trajectory information; and The movable platform is controlled to approach a target location based on the generated output signal. As in the method of request item 1, further comprising: determining an error value based on the sensor representing the position of the substrate relative to the marking on the object that is moving in accordance with the second trajectory information; and generating an updated output control signal based on the error value being within a predetermined range; and The movable platform is controlled to approach the target location based on the updated output control signal. As in the method of request item 1, further comprising: after the movable platform has moved according to the output control signal, updating the alignment prediction information and the at least one parameter value contained therein based on the updated first position information obtained through the image capture device . The method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment prediction information is a first feed-forward signal, and the generated first trajectory information is between the first position information obtained by acquiring and the feed-forward alignment prediction information The first feedback signal generated by the difference. The method according to claim 4, wherein the generated second track information is a second feedback signal. As in the method of request item 1, further comprising: In response to determining, based on the sensor representing the position of the substrate relative to the marker on the object at an end position of the alignment prediction information, an error value to be outside a predetermined range, generating new alignment prediction information comprising updated at least one parameter value determined based on the updated first position information; and adjusting one or more controls used to generate the alignment prediction information; the first trajectory information; and the second trajectory information; and combining the new alignment prediction information with the second trajectory information to generate an updated output control signal; and The movable platform is controlled based on the updated output control signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the output control signal is further based on a combination of a third feedforward control signal and the second trajectory information. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one parameter comprises one or more of: a position value required to initiate movement of said platform (a) along the determined trajectory, (b) The desired velocity value, (c) the desired acceleration value; (d) the desired rotation value, and (e) the desired start time. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment prediction information includes: a first feedforward control signal; a second feedforward control signal; and a third feedforward control signal; Wherein the generation of the first trajectory information is also based on the first feedforward control signal; Wherein the generation of the second trajectory information is also based on the second feedforward control signal; Wherein the generation of the output control signal is also based on the third feedforward control signal. The method of claim 1, wherein a feedforward control group includes said first feedforward control signal; said second feedforward control signal; and said third feedforward control signal; and Wherein at least one of the control signals in the feedforward control group is based on one or two of the other control signals in the feedforward control group. An imprint lithography system for controlling the alignment of an imprint lithography template relative to a substrate, the system comprising: a platform configured to hold the substrate, and the platform is movable such that the position of the platform can be changed; and a sensor configured to sense a position of the substrate relative to the imprint lithography template; and at least one controller in communication with the platform and the sensor configured to, based on the substrate having the liquid imprint resist contacting the template: obtaining first position information from a sensor representing a position of the substrate relative to a marking on the object; generating alignment prediction information based on the obtained first position, the generated alignment prediction information including at least one parameter value; generating first trajectory information comprising the at least one parameter value based on the acquired first position information and the generated alignment prediction information; generating second trajectory information based on the generated alignment prediction information, the first trajectory information, and second location information, wherein the second location information represents a location of the movable platform; generating an output control signal based on the second trajectory information; and The movable platform is controlled to approach a target location based on the generated output signal. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to: determining an error value based on the sensor representing the position of the substrate relative to the marking on the object that is moving in accordance with the second trajectory information; and generating an updated output control signal based on the error value being within a predetermined range; and The movable platform is controlled to approach the target location based on the updated output control signal. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to: after the movable platform has moved according to the output control signal, updating the alignment prediction information and the at least one parameter value contained therein based on the updated first position information obtained through the image capture device . The system according to claim 11, wherein the alignment prediction information is a first feed-forward signal, and the generated first trajectory information is between the first position information obtained by acquiring and the feed-forward alignment prediction information The first feedback signal generated by the difference. The system according to claim 14, wherein the generated second trajectory information is a second feedback signal. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to: In response to determining, based on the sensor representing the position of the substrate relative to the marker on the object at an end position of the alignment prediction information, an error value to be outside a predetermined range, generating new alignment prediction information comprising updated at least one parameter value determined based on the updated first position information; and combining the new alignment prediction information with the second trajectory information to generate an updated output control signal; and The movable platform is controlled based on the updated output control signal. The system of claim 16, wherein said output control signal is further based on a combination of a third feedforward control signal and said second trajectory information. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one parameter comprises one or more of: a position value required to initiate movement of said platform (a) along the determined trajectory, (b) The desired velocity value, (c) the desired acceleration value; (d) the desired rotation value, and (e) the desired start time. A method of manufacturing an item, which includes using the method of controlling a movable platform as described in Claim 1, and the method of manufacturing an item further includes: dispensing an imprint resist on the substrate, the imprint resist being a liquid; contacting the imprint resist with the object having a pattern thereon in contact with the imprint resist; The substrate on which the imprint resist has been dispensed is processed to fabricate the article. The manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein processing the substrate further comprises: applying energy to the substrate to cure the imprint resist and form a pattern on the substrate corresponding to the pattern on the object; wherein said method of controlling said movable stage is repeated while said object is in contact with said imprinted resist such that said object and The substrates are aligned.

Images